Jingsong is a graduate from the MLitt Media & Communication programme and a current PhD student at the University of Strathclyde
Tell us a little bit about your background..
I have eight years of experience working in the media industry as a photographer and marketing manager between China and Japan. From 2022 to 2023 I was involved in my master’s programme Media and Communication at the University of Strathclyde and graduated with distinction. After completing my master’s degree, I returned to China. However, I still did not want to lose my dream of continuing my studies and was always looking for new opportunities. Fortunately, I came back to Strathclyde again as a PhD student in 2024. I am very excited although I know there are many unknown challenges and difficulties ahead.
What drew you towards undertaking your media-related programme of study at first?
I see the power of the media today, especially the different kinds of new media. They are more influential and even ‘disruptive’, especially in shaping specific social issues. As a media practitioner, I saw the powerful influence and complexity of new media and technologies on the dissemination of particular information in today's digital age and was interested in the language and communication logic behind these media frames.
Tell us about the format and experience of the master's programme here..
I am grateful for this programme. This year I have not only gained a framework of knowledge and academic resources in the field of media and communication that exceeded my expectations, but it has also fuelled my motivation to delve into the field at a higher level. Firstly, it is a comprehensive and practical programme that includes strategic communication, traditional and new media theory, digital technology and so on. In addition to the main courses, I also took optional courses such as Intercultural Communication from the Department of Languages. These courses laid and expanded my theoretical foundation and horizons in this field. Secondly, there is strong academic support, tutors in any course are very willing to support your ideas even if they are interdisciplinary, and generously share useful resources to assist you in your work. My dissertation was an analysis of the intercultural communication mechanisms of user-generated content across cultures on media platforms, and it was the result of encouragement and advice received from teachers in both media and linguistics, which I eventually completed successfully and received a distinction. Finally, there is generous student support, as I received a scholarship to reduce part of my tuition fees during my master’s degree, which reduced my financial stress to a great extent. There are also plenty of opportunities from the University's Career Assistance Centre and the Doctoral School, which also gave me a lot of options to choose from.
What drew you towards continuing your programme of PhD study in this field?
I would say it comes from a heartfelt passion and interest in higher-level academic studies. The study of how mass media influences and shapes particular social issues and events has always fascinated me. In most of my past master's theses and dissertations, I have chosen to explore media logic and frameworks based on ‘interesting’ social issues. During the six-month-long collaboration with the supervisor of my master's dissertation, I gradually got an idea for my PhD programme, and I received great inspiration from her work. Especially the hot topics related to environmental communication and plastic pollution. Luckily, I ended up with a distinction degree for my master's results, which also gave me some advantage to compete for a PhD offer.
Tell us about your initial plan for your PhD programme..
I was inspired by the work of my current PhD supervisor, Professor Lesley Henderson, to look at the issue of plastic pollution in the social sciences. I attempted to propose a programme exploring the framing of alternative plastics in mass media and the impact on plastic consumption. Alternative plastics are seen as one of the answers to the serious plastic pollution of the current day. However, the lack of public awareness of alternative plastics and the ambiguity of their coverage in the mass media seem to be negatively affecting the plastics consumer market. More and more scientific literature is warning about the risks of alternative plastics, but there is still a gap in exploring the dimension of public perception of alternative plastics in the humanities and social fields. I plan to explore the impact of alternative plastics on solving the global plastic pollution crisis by focusing on the term alternative plastics in terms of public perceptions (attitudes) and how alternative plastics are constructed in the mass media respectively. Excitingly, the programme was not only accepted but sponsored by a scholarship. I become a member of doctoral training centre in Social Dimensions of Plastics led by Prof. Lesley Henderson.
What advice would you give to someone considering applying for a media and communication degree?
If you have a high level of interest and passion for media and communication related topics and are rich in your own ideas, then this programme will be a perfect choice. Because what you will get out of it is not just academic training, but also inspiring potential. It is also important to note that this can be a broad field, so please be sure to find a direction that interests you. If you are at a stage of hesitation, do not let yourself be left alone, go for networking, the academic support staff here are very good at that.